Things got pretty heated when the Indiana Pacers (47-35; 44-35-3 ATS) and Milwaukee Bucks (49-33; 35-46-1 ATS) faced off this season.
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Things got pretty heated when the Indiana Pacers (47-35; 44-35-3 ATS) and Milwaukee Bucks (49-33; 35-46-1 ATS) faced off this season. They played five times, and the Pacers came out on top in four of those games. Now, the playoff showdown kicks off at Fiserv Forum on Sunday night.
The game is set to start at 7:00 p.m. EDT. Everyone’s eager to snag that first playoff victory pronto. So, who’s gonna come out on top in this intense rivalry?
Indiana had to finish the regular season on a high note to dodge the play-in tournament. They nailed it with a 6-2 record in their final games, and they were unbeatable at home during that stretch.
Milwaukee really struggled against Indiana this season, no doubt about it. Their head-to-head record speaks volumes. And just like the Pacers, the Bucks’ Achilles’ heel seemed to be their defense.
For the Bucks, Galloway and Green will not be playing the game. Besides, Antetokounmpo is also questionable for the game. As for the Pacers, Mathurin will be sitting this one out.
The Pacers were killing it on offense, ranking second in offensive rating, second in pace, and topping the league in points per game. But against them, teams were still managing to score an average of 128.8 points per game. Indiana wrapped up the regular season ranking third in true shooting percentage and sixth in turnover percentage. They were decently placed in offensive rebounding percentage, coming in at 16th.
The Pacers’ hiccup lies in their defense, as they ended up 24th in defensive rating. They were giving up an average of 120.2 points per game, which put them at 27th in the league. To make matters worse, in five out of their last six games, their opponents scored at least 115 points.
The Bucks wrapped up the season sitting at 19th in defensive rating. They were 21st in points allowed per game and managed to force the second-fewest turnovers per game. Interestingly, they were among the teams allowing the highest percentage of midrange shots, but unfortunately, they weren’t very effective at defending them, ranking 27th in that department.
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